Do we really fear Muslim immigrants or is it a myth?

“Once again, a fever is infecting the minds of many Westerners. We must not allow history to repeat itself,” writes Doug Saunders in his latest book The Myth of the Muslim Tide: Do Immigrants Threaten the West?, which aims to show that the western population’s fear of Muslim immigrants, is nothing but a huge misunderstanding.

“In examining our own recent history along with the fast shifting cultural realities of these new immigrants, I hope we can begin to see this human tide not as a seismic and ruinous tsunami but as a regular, rhythmic movement on our shores, once we’ve seen before.”

The “Muslim Tide” is based on the idea that Muslims are migrating to Western countries in large amounts and that they are having children very quickly, implying that they may one day take over. According to Saunders, some people are of the impression that Muslim immigrants are disloyal to their ‘host’ countries and that they plan on taking over Western politics.

With the use of intriguing anecdotes, informative statistics, references to similar situations from the past, and riveting quotes, Saunders tries to teach us what people are really thinking. He strives for the true explanation of all the rumors circulating about Muslims, and explains that these worrisome feelings towards specific religious groups have occurred before.

Using statistics, Saunders is able to prove wrong some predominant stereotypes about Muslim immigrants. He shows that it is not true that Muslims are procreating more than the Western population, and that the rate of Muslim immigration is not increasing exponentially, as people seem to believe. Saunders shows that many of these immigrants are in fact loyal to their ‘host’ countries, and that they do not want to live apart from others. Finally, he attempts to disprove the idea that Muslims are more likely to take part in acts of terrorism.

Although enlightening, reading the ‘facts’ section of the book was quite tedious. Saunders illustrates his points using many different sources and statistics, which is useful in providing evidence for his arguments, however it made that part of the book a little harder to swallow.

Overall, this short yet fascinating book has the potential to really teach us a lot, not only about the myth of Muslim migration, but also about human nature. Sanders’ work meticulously inspects the social and political aspects of the immigration process for Muslims to the countries of the West and helps us comprehend how this situation could have happened in the first place. It is a great read for all those searching to understand the world a little better.

The Myth of the Muslim Tide: Do Immigrants Threaten the West? retails for $24.95 and is available at Chapters, Indigo and online at Amazon.ca.

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